


Do Better

by kirallea



Category: Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-10 12:37:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3290600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirallea/pseuds/kirallea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern day AU. Xena dresses up for a night out. Gabrielle can't stop staring.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Do Better

Gabrielle is standing in front of the bathroom mirror, putting on mascara, when Xena appears at the doorway, no longer wearing a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Gabrielle stops and turns her head, holding the brush in front of her face, just inches away from her eye.

”Well,” Xena says. ”What do you think?”

Gabrielle looks up and down her body, trying hard not to stare, even though she really wants to. Xena is wearing her new black dress, the one she reluctantly bought two weeks ago, when their friend Alyssa took her on a shopping spree, more than happy to help Xena find something to wear for an occasion like this. The dress fits her like a second skin, the lace hugging her breasts and hips and arms, complimenting her slim figure. Gabrielle is surprised; she doesn't think she has ever seen Xena wear anything like this before. The dress she wore for her twenty-fifth birthday was somewhat similar, but this one is even shorter, making her legs look longer than they are.

”Looks good on you,” Gabrielle says and turns back to the mirror. ”How much did you pay for it?”

”Eighty bucks,” Xena says. ”I can't believe how expensive all that stuff was. I think I spent well over two hundred bucks on that shopping trip.”

”Eighty bucks for a classic little black dress is not bad at all,” Gabrielle says. ”It never goes out of style, so you can wear it for years, you know.”

”Mm.” Xena leans against the doorway, folding her arms across her chest. ”Your birthday's coming up in a couple of weeks, too. Anything special you want to do, by the way? Any ideas?”

Gabrielle smiles at her reflection. ”I'd rather just have a quiet dinner at home. We can do something special for my 30th birthday. Like, go on a road trip with friends or something. That would be so much fun.”

”That's two years away,” Xena says. ”I'm sure we can have a little fun this year, too. You've been working long hours for months – you deserve some time off, if you ask me.” 

Gabrielle stops again and looks at her. ”Are you planning something behind my back?”

Xena examines her fingernails. She's starting to smile, just a little. ”Maybe I am.”

”You'd better not,” Gabrielle says, but she's smiling, too. ”I don't need anything, Xena, really. I'm just looking forward to coming home from work and spending the night watching TV or something.”

”Well, I can tell you that's not going to happen.”

”So we're going out that night, too?”

”Uh, yeah. I already bought tickets and everything.”

”Tickets?” Gabrielle asks, incredulously. ”Tickets for what?”

Xena raises an eyebrow. ”Do you really think I'm going to tell you?” She's smirking, clearly enjoying this situation.

”Xena!” Gabrielle says. ”Stop that!” She's trying to look serious, but she's failing miserably, smiling so hard that her cheeks are starting to hurt. She shakes her head, trying to regain her composure. ”Let's forget about this for now. We need to leave soon. What time is it, by the way?”

”Almost eight,” Xena says.

”Jesus,” Gabrielle says and looks back to the mirror. ”I think we're going to be late. There's no way I can get ready in thirty minutes.”

”Take it easy,” Xena says. ”I can get us there in twenty if I have to.”

”Let's just try to leave around eight-thirty,” Gabrielle says. She leans over the sink and goes back to applying her makeup. 

”Mind if I come in?” Xena asks. ”I need to do my makeup, too.”

”You don't need to ask, Xena,” Gabrielle says, smiling. 

Xena steps into the bathroom, and Gabrielle moves closer to the sink, making room for her. The bathroom is a little too small for two people, simply furnished but still cramped, the tiny counter cluttered with brushes and palettes and other makeup products. Xena's hips brush against Gabrielle's as she squeezes her way past her, and her hand lingers on her back for a moment, to keep her from losing her balance. Gabrielle takes a step to the side and smiles at Xena through the mirror as she comes to stand next to her. 

”You know what, Xena?” Gabrielle says. ”It's not difficult for me to find out what you're planning for my birthday. I could just check out what's going on in Seattle that night.”

”I thought we were not supposed to talk about this anymore,” Xena says. She's going through the array of makeup products, looking for something.

”I know,” Gabrielle says, sighing. ”I just can't stop thinking about it. I wasn't expecting this at all.”

”Just forget it, Gabrielle. I'm still not going to tell you anything about it.”

”Are we going to a concert? That would be awesome. We haven't been to a concert in years.”

”Gabrielle, don't even think—”

”Okay, probably not. I'm pretty sure I would know if any of our favorite artists was coming to town.”

”Well, that's just great.”

”Does it have something to do with music?”

”I'm not going to discuss this with you, Gabrielle.”

”Are we going to see a musical? I know you like musicals, even though you don't want to admit it, Xena.”

”Gabrielle,” Xena says. She picks up a bottle of moisturizer.

”Am I getting close?” Gabrielle asks. Their eyes meet in the mirror, and she smirks at her, wrinkling up her nose. Xena gives her a challenging look, her eyes so intense that it almost makes her shiver, and not only because she's looking forward to playing this game with her. ”I'm going to figure it out sooner or later, Xena.”

”Good luck with that,” Xena says.

When Gabrielle is done with her makeup, she goes back to their bedroom and takes out her dress. She changes her clothes and puts on her favorite earrings, humming softly to herself as she gets ready for the evening. They're going out to celebrate a friend's birthday, and Gabrielle is really excited, knowing that all of their old college friends are going to be there, some of whom they haven't seen in a long time. They have made reservations at a fancy restaurant downtown, and they're probably heading to a bar for a few drinks afterwards, even though none of them wants to stay out too late. They're always joking about how old they are now, choosing to spend the weekends at home instead of going out, the bars and clubs too loud and cramped for them. Xena and Gabrielle are planning on coming home around midnight, still exhausted from the week, just wanting to go to bed early and sleep late the next day.

Gabrielle dabs perfume on her neck and wrists and makes sure her hair still looks good before going to her closet to pick out shoes to go with her outfit. Xena's still in the bathroom, but she's almost done with her makeup. Gabrielle stops and just stares at her for a moment, the shoes now completely forgotten. Xena's in the process of applying mascara, her eyes dark and sultry and her skin soft and smooth, a touch of bronze on her cheeks. Gabrielle blinks and looks back to her shoes, trying to concentrate.

She pulls out a pair of high heels and puts them on, walking around a little. Xena's going through her makeup bag, looking for something. Gabrielle watches with open interest as she leans over the sink and puts lipstick on her lips, careful not to smudge it. Gabrielle swallows and tries to look away, but she can't. She feels like an idiot, gaping at her like this, and her heart starts to beat faster as Xena parts her lips a little further, painting them with perfect precision. Xena must have bought the lipstick recently; Gabrielle can't recall her using that particular deep red shade before. Gabrielle scratches her neck and turns around, her cheeks burning as she busies herself with straightening her dress. She doesn't even remember what she was doing before getting distracted, which is weird and embarrassing, even though she knows she has nothing to be ashamed of. 

”You ready?” Xena asks. ”I'm almost done in here.”

”Yeah,” Gabrielle says, walking over to the desk. ”I'll take the gift, alright?”

”Alright,” Xena says. ”Hope the traffic's not too bad tonight.”

”We're going to be there on time,” Gabrielle says. ”It's not even eight-thirty yet. Can you believe that?”

”Oh.” Xena walks out of the bathroom, heading to her closet. ”We've got plenty of time, in that case. There's no need to hurry.”

”Let's just leave, Xena,” Gabrielle says and grabs her purse. ”I don't want you to get another speeding ticket just because you thought you could make it to downtown in less than fifteen minutes or something.”

”I can't believe you're still thinking about that,” Xena says, slipping into a pair of heels. ”That happened months ago, Gabrielle.”

”Yeah, but it's not even the first time it happened,” Gabrielle says. 

”Gabrielle,” Xena says, very seriously. She turns around, glaring at her. ”Stop this right now.”

”Alright, alright,” Gabrielle says. ”Come on, Xena. We can spend those extra minutes looking for a parking spot near the restaurant or something. It's Saturday night – the place is going to be crowded anyway.”

”Fine,” Xena says. ”You're right. Let's go.”

–

They end up being a little late, but Gabrielle doesn't really mind, knowing that the others have only just arrived, too. The restaurant is big and spacious, decorated with warm colors and simple elegance, forks and knives clinking against plates as guests enjoy their meals, faint music and soft laughter filling the air. They have a table near the back, close to the kitchen. Everybody's already there, and there are only two seats left, at different ends of the table. Xena takes the seat closest to them while Gabrielle makes her way to the only seat left, smiling as a few of her friends get up to give her a hug, clearly happy to see her.

Between opening the gifts and eating dinner, there's time to socialize, which is something Gabrielle has really been looking forward to. The group consists of twelve people, and there are several discussions going on at once, just like there always was in college, too, whenever they all went out to eat dinner together. Gabrielle has a lot of fun catching up with her old friends, and by the time the waiter brings the meals, she already feels like the gang has never been apart. She can't really talk to Xena, because they're sitting so far away from each other, but she can tell she's enjoying herself, too. Xena's mostly just listening to others speak, but she's smiling a lot, her eyes occasionally drifting to Gabrielle, their gazes meeting for a brief moment before one of them turns away.

The conversation slows down after dinner. Some of the girls get up to use the restroom while a few others go out for a smoke. The others pull out their phones, and the discussion stops, everybody just browsing through social media sites and messaging their friends, completely distracted. Gabrielle puts her phone on the table, swirling her drink around with her straw. She'd rather talk with her friends than play with her phone, but she doesn't feel like actually breaking the silence, fearing she might interrupt something important, after all. She's just about to say something as her phone buzzes, the screen lighting up. The message is from Xena; she's eyeing at her from across the table, seated only ten feet away from her.

_You having a good time?_

Gabrielle glances up at Xena with a small smile on her lips. Xena looks down at her phone and keeps browsing, pretending to be busy. Gabrielle shakes her head and turns back to her phone.

_Yeah, absolutely. The food was amazing, too - I think I just had the best oysters of my entire life. You?_

Xena types a reply without looking up from her phone.

_Yeah, it's been a great night. Just heard some pretty incredible stories – can't wait to tell you about them._

Their eyes meet across the table, the others still hunched over their phones, completely oblivious to this exchange. Gabrielle tilts her head and gives her a curious look. Xena just smiles, raising an eyebrow. Gabrielle makes a face and starts typing.

_Did you know Carly's moving to Australia next year? Her boyfriend's being relocated to Perth and she's going with him._

Xena stares at the screen, surprised. 

_Really? I had no idea._

Gabrielle brushes a strand of hair behind her ear and keeps typing.

_We're already planning on visiting her some day. Wouldn't that be great? We could all go together, the entire gang. Carly could show us around and we could go on the beach and stuff. Sounds cool, right?_

Xena smiles down at her phone. 

_Gonna be a damn long flight, though. Like, 20 hours or something?_

_Think of it as a great adventure to an exotic land. I don't think we would ever go down there if it wasn't for something like this._

The waiter shows up, and everybody looks up from their phones, their thumbs hovering over the screens. Gabrielle takes a sip from her glass and remains silent, deep in thought. She picks up her phone when the waiter is gone, her fingers moving quickly across the screen.

_Did you buy tickets for a play?_

Xena glares at her from across the table and shakes her head slowly. Gabrielle cocks her head to one side and gives her a sweet smile, the kind she knows Xena won't be able to resist.

_That would hardly be a surprise. We do that stuff pretty much all the time._

Gabrielle frowns a little before starting to type.

_How about a ballet? An opera? Something like that?_

A small smile flickers across Xena's lips.

_No._

Gabrielle stares at the screen in disbelief. She doesn't want to give up, but she's starting to run out of ideas. She stares down at her drink and chews her lower lip thoughtfully, finally sending Xena her final suggestion.

_Disney on Ice?_

Xena chuckles and shakes her head.

_Not even close._

Gabrielle has to stop herself from sighing in exasperation. She leans back in her chair, folds her arms across her chest and just looks at Xena for a moment, hoping she could read her mind. Xena is smiling down at her phone, and it's clear that she knows Gabrielle is about to give up, that she's going to win this game. Gabrielle grabs her phone again, annoyed by this.

_If it's not any of those things, then what is it? I can't think of anything else to do in this place. I guess I have to just wait until my birthday to find out._

Xena glances at her, and her brow furrows as she looks back at her phone. She's hesitating; Gabrielle perks up when she realizes this, her heart starting to beat faster at the prospect of finally finding out what she has planned for her birthday. Xena types something on her phone, her eyes turning to Gabrielle right when the message shows up on her screen.

_What makes you think we're going to stay in Seattle?_

Gabrielle's eyes grow wide, and she looks up, just staring at her from across the table, completely surprised. 

–

They come home well after midnight, greeted by the silence of an empty house, a welcome luxury after hours of music and socializing. Gabrielle walks straight into the bedroom, sighing with relief as she flops down on the bed. She reaches out to turn on the lamp on the nightstand before taking off her heels, silently cursing herself for not having worn better shoes. Xena enters the room, dropping her purse and blazer on the chair and making her way to her closet.

”Well, that was fun,” she says, lazily stepping out of her shoes. ”Can't wait to change into something more comfortable, though.”

”Yeah,” Gabrielle says, stretching out her aching feet. ”God, I'm so glad to be home. My heels were killing me back there, and I still have a headache from the loud music at the club.”

”I think I was just reminded of why we don't do that kind of thing anymore,” Xena says. ”The place was so crowded I could barely breathe in there.”

”Well, other than that, it was a great night,” Gabrielle says and reaches down to rub her heels. She had a few drinks at the club, not because she actually felt like drinking but because pretty much everybody else had drinks, too. She's feeling slightly dizzy, a faint flush spreading across her cheeks and a fuzzy warmth pulsing through her body. ”It was so nice to have the gang together again. It's too bad we can't do this more often, though. Everybody lives so far away from each other and everything.”

”Well, we'll see what happens with that Australia thing,” Xena says. ”It would be a great way to bring everbody together again.”

”Yeah,” Gabrielle says. She sighs and runs a hand through her hair. ”Ugh, I'm so tired. Thank God tomorrow is Sunday. I want to spend the day in bed.”

”Oh, yeah. I think I'm going to sleep twelve hours straight.”

”And when we wake up, we can order pizza and binge-watch something on Netflix. You know, the usual Sunday stuff.”

”Sounds good to me,” Xena says. She turns to look at her and smiles, her eyes soft. Gabrielle smiles back, swooning a little, stupidly excited about this prospect. 

Xena crosses the room and draws the curtains before starting to undress. Gabrielle remains on the bed, trying hard to look away, but she can't. She watches with silent admiration as Xena slides the dress off her shoulders, exposing her back, shadows dancing across her skin. Gabrielle parts her lips and lets out a breath, looking down just as Xena pushes the dress down past her hips, revealing more and more skin. 

”Feels so good to get out of this thing,” Xena says. ”This dress is not for me, that's for sure.”

Gabrielle gets up and walks over to her closet. ”It's still a nice dress,” she says, matter-of-factly.

”It is,” Xena agrees. Gabrielle is not surprised to find out what she's wearing underneath her dress: black lace, snug around her hips and breasts. ”I'm just glad I don't have to dress like this every day. I don't mind doing it once in a while, but overall, it's not really my thing.”

”Can you help me with the zipper of my dress?” Gabrielle asks. ”I don't think I can reach it.”

Xena turns around to face her, raising an eyebrow. Her lips are twitching; Gabrielle knows she's holding back a smile. Gabrielle looks back at her, trying to act innocent, even though she's not really feeling that way and knows Xena's not going to buy it, either. She knows she shouldn't be doing this, because it's late, and they're both exhausted, but she can't stop, not now, not anymore.

”Sure,” Xena says.

She comes closer, and Gabrielle turns her back to her, biting her lip, waiting. Xena brushes her hair over her shoulder before slowly pulling the zipper down, her hand lingering on her back, between her shoulder blades. She takes a step back, and Gabrielle slides out of her dress, knowing she's being watched. Gabrielle can smell the distinct scent of Xena's perfume; it's intoxicating in it's own way, luscious but not overwhelming, wrapping around them like a secret spell. Smiling to herself, she puts the dress away, and pushes out her ass in the process, showing off. She's having a little too much fun with this, but she doesn't care, enjoying the attention too much to drop this act. She could probably blame the drinks, even though they both know she's barely drunk, just a little tipsy.

Gabrielle closes the closet door and turns around to face Xena. Xena's eyes are dark, her perfectly painted lips parted. For a moment, they just stare at each other, and then they're both stepping forward, hands finding smooth skin and delicate lace, lips crashing against lips.

Gabrielle's eyes slide shut, her hands settling on Xena's hips, their bodies pressing together as they kiss. She's been looking forward to this, the moment she can finally give in to the temptation and just kiss her without having to worry about getting carried away, or being too eager. She kept watching her all night, secretly, desperate to taste her lips, her heart beating a little faster every time their eyes met. 

They stumble over to the bed, still kissing, unable to stop. Gabrielle collapses on the sheets, and Xena climbs on top of her, their breaths mingling, fingers skimming over hips and shoulders. Gabrielle wraps her arms around Xena's body and pulls her closer. She could stay like this forever and just marvel at how well their bodies seem to fit together, and how good it feels when Xena claims her lips. It's such a luxury, being able to share this kind of closeness with her, an intimate connection between two minds, bodies, and souls. Gabrielle knows she shouldn't take it for granted; she was lonely for a long time, too, afraid she might never be able to feel like this.

”Xena,” she says, whispering her name like she's about to tell a secret. She doesn't know what she's trying to articulate, but there's a sense of urgency in it, a desperate need to let Xena know about this feeling, too. Xena touches her cheek, and claims her lips again, the kiss soft and slow and sweet. She nibbles at her lower lip, suddenly playful, and Gabrielle lets out a small whimper, surprised but not disappointed by this development. With a smile, she reaches around to undo Xena's bra and tosses it on the bed next to them.

”Xena,” she says again, panting. Xena is kissing and biting her neck now, slowly making her way down. Gabrielle is wet just from this, Xena's teeth grazing her skin, her tongue sliding down her neck. She's desperate to touch herself, but she doesn't; she knows Xena wouldn't let her, because she wants to do it herself, after she's been teasing her enough. ”Let's just – be quick, okay?”

”I didn't know you wanted it so bad,” Xena says. Her voice is low, breathless.

”I don't,” Gabrielle says. Her head falls back as Xena nibbles at the curve where her neck meets her shoulder, a moan escaping her lips. ”I just – okay, okay, I do, Xena, I do.”

She sits up on her elbows to help Xena take off her bra and falls back on the bed with a soft thud. Unlike her, Xena doesn't seem to be in a hurry; she's taking her time kissing her neck, her breasts, and finally, her thighs, her lips moving over all those secret spots that make her tremble with anticipation. Gabrielle kind of hopes she would just get on with it, even though she's definitely not opposed to the idea of Xena leaving lipstick marks all over her body, which is actually an oddly appealing thought, especially right now. 

Gabrielle is starting to lose her patience. She's waiting, eyes closed and legs spread, her breath already coming in short gasps, Xena's mouth everywhere but where she really needs it. Xena probably wants her to beg; she's starting to consider it, even though she's not usually that eager to submit to her will, especially not in bed. It's a game they like to play, a game where they tease each other until one of them gives in, except for that there are no winners or losers, just endless pleasure. Gabrielle opens her mouth, ready to surrender now, but words are not needed, because Xena's already sliding her panties off, blue eyes glancing up at her once more before she lowers her mouth between her legs.

They have done this countless times over the years, but it never fails to surprise Gabrielle how warm and wet Xena's tongue is, pressing against her with just the right amount of pressure. With a breathy moan, she tenses up, her hips lifting off the bed, heat pooling between her legs. Desperate to hold something, she grasps Xena's hair and pulls a little, trying no to be too forceful even though she knows Xena doesn't really mind. Xena hums softly and licks her way up again, and again, and again, her tongue sliding and probing and teasing. Gabrielle kind of wants to look at her, but she doesn't. She's already overwhelmed, and they're only just getting started. 

Gabrielle tugs at Xena's hair, encouraging her, wanting more. When Xena's lips close around her clit, sucking, she almost shouts, her body shuddering hard. Xena has always been ridiculously good at this, even back in college, where they first became involved with each other. Gabrielle remembers being jealous, because it meant that she had others before her, others who had taught her. Gabrielle had sexual partners prior to meeting Xena, too, but they were both boys, and she never really enjoyed having sex with them, neither mentally nor physically.

”You good?” Xena asks, suddenly. 

”Yeah,” Gabrielle says. ”Just – come over here and kiss me, please.”

Xena does, her hand sliding into Gabrielle's hair as she leans down to press her lips to hers. Gabrielle wraps her arms around her neck, sighing as she tastes herself on Xena's tongue. She catches her bottom lip between her teeth and tugs, and Xena makes a small noise against her mouth before their lips separate.

Xena moves back down, pressing a kiss to her stomach on her way there, finally settling in between her legs. She briefly licks her clit before starting to suck, and thrusts two fingers inside of her, not too gentle but not too forceful, either. Gabrielle moans softly, and she arches her back as Xena moves her fingers, pulling out and pushing back in. She's sweaty and breathless, her body squirming as Xena fucks her with her fingers, her hands grabbing the sheets and tugging at Xena's hair, holding her close.

Her legs are starting to tremble, and her moans are getting louder, pleasure pulsing through her body. Xena knows exactly how to make it feel really good; her every move seems perfectly calculated, a further proof of how well she knows her and her body. Gabrielle is really close now, practically hovering on the edge, the tension almost unbearable, too much for her to handle. 

”Xena,” she says, gasping, and then she's already coming, her body going tense and her back arching off the bed.

Gabrielle collapses back onto the bed, covered in sweat. Slowly, she opens her eyes and glances down, her heart still pounding, her breathing heavy and ragged. Xena pulls her fingers out and crawls on top of her, leaning down for a hungry kiss. Gabrielle slips a hand between their bodies and down Xena's underwear, and she reaches out to awkwardly rub her clit, smiling as Xena lets out a small, happy sigh. 

They end up lying on the bed, Xena on her back and Gabrielle stretched out on her side next to her, rubbing and fingering her as Xena grinds against her hand and moans softly against her mouth. Gabrielle is starting to feel sleepy, and she watches through heavy-lidded eyes as Xena's body grows tense, and finally melts against her touch, bare legs tangling and slick fingers slowly finding each other. 

They lie sprawled on the bed, basking in the afterglow, the tangled sheets cool against naked skin. Gabrielle closes her eyes, her body hot and heavy and completely spent. She knows she should get up and remove her makeup, but she's too comfortable to move, not wanting to leave Xena and the cozy warmth of their bed. She sighs and scoots closer to Xena, cuddling against her.

”You wanna go clean up?” she asks.

”Nah,” Xena says. ”We can do that in the morning.”

Gabrielle suppresses a yawn. ”I don't know. I feel like I should at least clean my eyes.”

”Well, the bathroom's right over there.”

”I'm not going to get up if you don't, either.”

”I guess we're both just going to stay in bed, then.”

”Fine by me.”

Gabrielle props herself up on her elbow and looks down at her.

”So, where are we going for my birthday?”

Xena sighs and presses a hand to her forehead. ”Gabrielle,” she says. ”We already talked about this.”

”But I really want to know,” Gabrielle says. ”I don't think I can sleep if you don't tell me about this plan of yours.”

”Well, that's your problem, not mine.”

”I'm going to keep guessing until you tell me,” Gabrielle says. ”Okay, let's see. Those tickets you were talking about – they're plane tickets, right? Are we going on a vacation or something?”

Xena looks away. She doesn't say anything.

”I'll take that as a yes,” Gabrielle says. ”Are we going to Vancouver? Portland?”

”I'm not going to answer that,” Xena says. Gabrielle studies her closely, looking for hints, anything that might give away what she's thinking, but Xena keeps her face blank and just stares at the ceiling, avoiding her gaze.

”Okay, I guess not. How about, uh, I don't know. Spokane?”

”Gabrielle,” Xena says, closing her eyes. ”I really want to sleep. It's been a long day.”

”I think we're going out of state,” Gabrielle says, more to herself than to Xena. ”Wait, how long is this vacation supposed to be? I have to be back to work on Monday – you know that, right?”

”It's a mini vacation,” Xena says. ”We're leaving Friday afternoon and coming back Sunday night. I know it's not ideal, but it's better than nothing, and you really deserve this. I know you're really going to like it there.”

”Okay, so that means we're not going too far,” Gabrielle says. ”How about Vegas? LA?”

”You're really stubborn,” Xena says, glancing at her. ”Did you know that?”

”I've been told,” Gabrielle says, smiling a little. ”I don't think that's it, though. How about, um, San Francisco?”

Xena keeps staring at the ceiling, not saying anything. Gabrielle leans closer, squinting her eyes.

”Xena,” she says, pronouncing this slowly and clearly. ”Are we going to San Francisco for my birthday?”

Xena remains silent, but Gabrielle can see she's hoding back a smile, her lips twitching just slightly.

”We are?” Gabrielle's eyes light up, and a big smile spreads across her face. ”Xena, that's great!” She sits up, feeling elated. A born and raised San Franciscan, she has loved the city ever since she was a kid, and her appreciation for her hometown has only grown after her family moved to Seattle when she was fifteen, not because she doesn't like it in Washington but because San Francisco's where all her childhood memories were made. She still goes over there whenever she can, though not as much as she used to. ”Okay, I'm so looking forward to that trip now. We haven't been to San Francisco in years!”

”I was thinking the same thing,” Xena says. She's smiling, too, her eyes soft. ”I figured it would be a perfect little getaway for your birthday. Nothing too fancy, but still something we'd both enjoy.”

”We need to call our friends down there and let them know we're coming over,” Gabrielle says, beaming. ”It's been such a long time – there's so much to talk about.”

”I already spoke to Eddie and April,” Xena says. ”They're taking us out to dinner on Friday night. I don't have anything special planned for Saturday or Sunday, but we can come up with something if you want.”

”We can think about that later,” Gabrielle says. She leans down and kisses her, nuzzling their noses together. ”Thank you, Xena. This is such a great gift.”

”I'm glad you like it,” Xena says. 

Gabrielle lies down on the bed, facing Xena, and reaches out to brush her fingers against hers, very gently. ”Good night, Xena. Love you.”

”Night, Gabrielle. Love you, too.”

Gabrielle closes her eyes, but she's too excited to sleep. She thinks about the trip to San Francisco, and all the places she wants to visit there, places she still knows so well. She loves to walk around the city, and that's what she wants to do now, too, with Xena, who probably knows the city as well as she does by now, but doesn't mind indulging her. They could stop by at the farmer's market in Noe Valley, where she used to go with her father and sister when she was a little girl, and just look at all those fruits and vegetables on sale, and wonder how everything is still the same, just like how she remembers it. It would be a perfect combination of past and present, a moment filled with wistful nostalgia and immense happiness, momentarily clouded by the realization that she will never get those times back, but replaced by the understanding that she's there with the person she loves.


End file.
